ONE IN TEN STUDENTS SUBJECT TO OUT OF SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS

I am currently comparing discipline 2007-2008 statistics for CFBISD and LISD. Did you realize that 1 in 10 of CFBISD students was suspended out of school in 2007-2008? Did you realize that each one of students were suspended an average of 2 times. Unfortunately, the numbers I have were not broken down by grade level. Considering, these calculations are based on total enrollment and, since approximately 50% of the enrollment in CFBISD is in grades pre-k through 5th grade, the rate of suspensions among middle school and high school students is probably closer to 1 in 5. One has to question the effectiveness of out of school suspensions, when they are used so frequently and repetitively. In LISD, 1 of 50 students was suspended. Each student was suspended an average of once.
The Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District Student Code Conduct does not outline the conditions under which a student may be suspended, nor does the Student Code Conduct identify conduct for which a student could be suspended. Both are required by the State Education Code. The LISD Student Code Conduct does clearly identify conduct could be suspended. Additionally, LISD permits the appeal of suspensions. I believe that suspension should be used only in select circumstances, e.g. to defuse a tense situation.
In 2007-2008, 17576 disciplinary interventions , including expulsions, DAEP referrals, in school detentions and out of school suspensions. One third of these disciplinary interventions, 5835, were out of school suspensions. I cannot understand how anyone can justify this level of use out-of-school suspensions. How can everyone explain why a student at CFISD is five times more likely to be Suspended Out of School than a student at LISD?

See the full report here:

http://www.cfbisd.net/discipline_report.html
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/adhocrpt/Disciplinary_Data_Products/Download_District_Summaries.html